Afterlife: The Third Realm
by Jj David Lee
Summary: Denying life and rejected by death, Egil ends up in a third realm and meets the entity of naught, Enigma, thus beginning his journey to traverse the world of Gaia in deciding his fate. Book 1 of the Afterlife series. Please R&R.
1. Beginning of Death

**Author's Notes**: Greetings everybody. After what seem like years of absence, I have finally returned. I was really busy with my college life. But now that college's history, I can finally concentrate on continuing my fanfics.

What was once my very first fanfiction has been taken down and re-uploaded. Well, I want to take some time and remodel the older chapters and improve them. The versions of the story before this have a lot more inconsistency in past and present tenses, which I am desperate to fix. I'm not saying the revised version has no errors at all. Well, at least it's a lot better than the past ones with countless stupid mistakes, which was really horrible.

I haven't written anything in the past few years. So, please give me some time to reshape myself, if you know what I mean. Constructive critiques are always welcomed here. =) However, no flaming please.

Now that's that. I hope you guys find this a better read (for my past readers) and an enjoyable story (for new readers).

And so it reopens the book of Afterlife.

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Final Fantasy IX or any of the characters belonging to it. Square does. I only own Egil.

* * *

**Chapter One: Beginning of Death**

The sky is a dull grey.

Snowflakes fall from above, swaying and dancing gently in the air. The once green lawns are now blanketed with sheets of white snow. The trees have lost their green, their branches now bald and leafless. People are walking down the streets dressed in thick jackets or fur coats, their necks warmed by scarves and their hands wearing mittens. It is cold, even the breath of air we exhale is visible under the low temperature.

I look out the window. Everything is more or less the same as they have always been. Every day I am staring at the same street, watching the same people coming in and out of the houses in this neighborhood. Life's like this when you have been quarantined inside a hospital ward for a couple of months.

I hear footsteps on the other side of the door. I'm hoping that someone will come in. But the footsteps become fainter as the person leaves the corridor outside. I sigh, sitting down on my bed. It has been long since I accepted the truth. Nobody will come in this room, even the doctors and nurses seem to have been trying to avoid my ward. I have to face it.

No one will be coming to visit me.

It has been ten years since my parents died in a bank robbery. I have been parentless ever since. I live through these years alone. No relatives came to visit me all these while. Maybe I have none at all. The tragedy that caused my parent's death somehow transformed me. I became something else in people's eyes. My friends began to distant themselves from me. I couldn't figure out the cause. It might have been my own problem, like how I reacted when people tried to comfort me.

I feel like a nobody, someone worthless and of no value, like a tiny grass that grows beside the roads. I am always the least noticed in my class, the least commented by teachers. I don't have excellent grades, only average ones. I don't think they will remember me, a student named Egil Black.

I could have been famous in the archery club, but I didn't want to. I practice almost every day when everyone has left school. I train hard and sometimes I work until my hands bleed. But whenever I'm shooting in front of everybody else, I pretend to be really bad at it, even though I have perfect confidence in my own accuracy. I don't know why I've done so. I just don't want to attract attention. I want to be alone. But then, I practice archery to not feel alone. How contradicting is that?

At times when I'm home, I play a lot of video games; especially fantasy ones like the Final Fantasy series. Sometimes, I wish that the characters in the game can somehow just come alive. Then I will have someone to talk to, someone to spend time with, and someone to laugh with. But who am I kidding? It's merely a fool's wish.

But I doubt if I ever will have the chance to play them again.

It all came to me a week ago, a night when I failed to sleep no matter how much I tried to.

* * *

_FLASHBACK_

_I continuously rolled on the bad, my eyes shut, trying to force myself to sleep. But I couldn't. I stared out of the window and into the sky. A bright star shined in the dark. I wondered how long I still have to be here in this boring room._

_The sound of footsteps suddenly broke the silent night. I closed my eyes once again and pretended to have fallen asleep as the ward's door opened. I heard the footsteps coming closer, until it stopped right beside my bed._

"_Do you think we should we tell him? He has the right to know," a doctor said._

"_I think it's best if we leave him be, George. It's the only way he can rest in peace," another doctor said._

_I recognized their voices. They are Doctor George and Doctor Samuel. They are the ones checking my medical conditions. Why are they here this late at night? Is something wrong?_

"_But surely you haven't given up yet? Isn't there a cure for his disease?" Dr. George asked._

"…_I'm very sorry about that. Even the latest technology could not define what kind of disease had struck this poor boy. He may look as if nothing's happening to him on the outside, but in the inside… His heart is slowly dying." Dr. Samuel explained. "It's very abnormal. The rate of his heartbeat was gradually dropping. We tried everything, but nothing could stop the decreasing of his heartbeat. It's like his whole cardiovascular system is shutting down by itself. As this continues on, his heart will eventually stop pumping…"_

"…_Poor fella'. He's always alone. Nobody has visited him ever since he was warded, no even his friends and relatives. He's an orphan, I hear?" Dr. George said with a compassionate tone._

"_Yes," Dr. Samuel answered._

"…_How much time does he have left?"_

"_A week, or a few more days extra if he's lucky…" Dr. Samuel said with a deep sigh. "…Come, George, let's just leave him alone."_

"_You sure you don't want to tell him the truth?"_

"_I think it's best for him to leave not knowing… It will be just like falling into a deep sleep…and not waking up."_

"…_If only some kind of miracle will happen…"_

_With a sigh, Dr. George left the room with Dr. Samuel. My eyes opened up when the door was closed. It was a long night._

_FLASHBACK ENDED_

* * *

I rest myself on the bed. My disease is incurable. And my life is supposed to end by this midnight. But why don't I feel afraid? It's supposed to be shocking news to me. But I feel nothing. Is it this easy to accept death?

Maybe it's because I've got nothing to lose.

I wonder will there be an afterlife? Will my soul go to some sort of resting place? Perhaps I get to see Mom and Dad again. Maybe they're waiting for me over there. If then, I'm more than willing to go and join them.

But why? How can I welcome death so easily?

I recall Dr. George's words before he left the room that night.

_If only some kind of miracle will happen…_

Miracle. Maybe I'm not hoping for one to happen, considering its chances are who knows how many billions to one. Maybe I have already lost all hope.

I place my hand on my chest. My heart is really weak. I can barely feel it beating inside me. It's struggling to stay alive for me, but its efforts are futile. It cannot win over death after all.

_So, this is how my life will end, huh? _I ask myself as I close my eyes. There's no one to say goodbye to, no one there to hear my last words. I don't have a will to leave. Even if I do, I doubt if there's anyone out there that will read it.

Time goes on flowing, drawing me closer and closer to my end. But it seem like an eternity before night descends upon me. It's like the world has slowed down around me, wanting to help me treasure my last day alive.

I can't hear my heart beating anymore. Its sound is now so faint. My eyelids are getting heavier. I know perfectly well that the moment has arrived.

A tear roll down from my cheek at this final second. Do I regret not hoping? Do I regret over my life? Do I regret that I should have let go of the past and embraced my friends' companionship, instead of throwing everything away and sitting alone in the corner? I have no idea over my current feelings. I just leave them running inside my mind as darkness engulfs me, pulling me into nothingness…

* * *

I've died, so where the heck am I now? Everything's dark around here. I can only see myself. Is this heaven or hell? Whichever place I'm in, it doesn't change the fact that I'm alone. So, I remain alone even after I have died. I look around, trying to see if Mom and Dad are around. But there is no sight of either of them. I guess this is what really happens when your life ends, getting imprisoned in a realm of nothingness in solitude for eternity.

"_You gave up too soon, young one._"

Startled by the sudden voice, I look around but see no one. I begin to feel somewhat scared, unable to see anything.

"Anybody here?" I ask. My voice's loud and clear. It's amazing how someone dead like me can speak with the tone of a normal person's. I thought when I have died, I am supposed to become weaker. But somehow it's the other way around, I feel stronger than before.

"_Yes, I am here,_" the voice answers.

"Where are you? Who are you?" I continue to ask, still looking around for answers.

"_I am everywhere. I am the very nothingness you are walking in. I have no name, but if you must, you can call me Enigma,_" the voice explains.

"Enigma? _What _exactly are you?" I inquire. "Are you some kind of spirit? A god?"

"_I am the entity of naught, the ruler of the realm of null._"

I shake my head at that. I've never heard of such thing before.

"So, I'm dead, right?" I ask. "Is this my afterlife?"

"_Yes and no,_" Enigma answers. "_You are neither in the realm of death nor still in the realm of life. Let us just say that this realm is in between those two._"

"Why did I end up here? Aren't I supposed to go to the realm of death? Do people usually end up here when they die?" I question. There are so many things that confuse me right now.

"_There was an uncertainty in your death. You gave up on life, that part is true. You thought you have accepted death, but truth be told, you did not. You merely tossed everything aside and left the choice be. Your soul could not conclude whether you should stay at the realm of life or pass on to the realm of death. And so, you arrived here, to make a choice,_" Enigma explains briefly. "_This is quite a rare occasion._"

"A choice?" I'm shocked. "You mean I can go back to the realm of life? I can still live on and not die?" Is this just a dream? Is a miracle really happening now?

"_It depends._"

"What do you mean it depends?"

"_The choice is not given to you, but rather to what is inside you. Your soul must undertake a journey, and by the end of the journey it shall decide for you._"

"What?" I snap. Who the hell knew that dying can be so complicated. "Why can't I just decide for myself? I have nothing left in life, so why can't I just go on to death like this?"

"_Have you not understood? You are not being true to yourself. Only your heart and soul knows what do you really think deep inside. The heart possesses the unfathomable truth which normal beings cannot comprehend. The journey you must take is a test to draw out the true thoughts that slumber in the depths of your heart. And once the journey comes to an end, your soul will judge on your heart and carry out the decision._"

I can't believe what I'm hearing right now. I never knew that the afterlife is such a pain in the ass. "You said this is a rare occasion. Does that mean people have been here before me?" I ask.

"…_Yes. There was once a young child, a girl, who was like you, ended up here under the same circumstances._" Enigma says monotonously.

"…What happened to her?" Judging from Enigma's tone, what occurred to the girl might not have been a happy ending.

"_I sent her, too, on a journey to seek her answer. But she never returned. Either she never found what she really wanted inside her or her soul never actually made the decision._ _Of course, it might have been something else that had happened to her. I had lost contact with her for ten years in the realm of null. Until today, I could not understand why have this happened._"

"She's lost?" I ask. "Will the same thing happen to me? Like, if I'm not careful enough?"

"_The same thing could happen to you. But do not worry, your journey will already be prepared when you begin, and I will guide you along the path,_" Enigma assures.

Well, that certainly made me feel better, somehow.

"So, when do we begin?"

"_Now._"

Before I can say anything in response, the invisible floor beneath me disappears and I'm sucked into a vortex. My body spins rapidly inside the vortex for several minutes before it stops and I hit the ground. Feeling dizzy, I drop to my knees, unable to stand straight. I hold on something quickly for support.

A horrible headache. Great, what a way to begin your journey of life and death.

It took me minutes before I realize that I'm in a dark room packed with wooden barrels and crates. A lantern hangs at the ceiling, its flickering light illuminating the room. The floor is made of wooden planks and so is the door. Pipes line the walls. I wonder where am I as I stand up and scrutinize myself.

What the hell.

I'm wearing a forest-green shirt with no sleeves and brown pants. I am gloved in leather that stretches nearly all the way to my elbows while my legs are in leather boots. Over my shirt, I wear a breastplate that's well fashioned to my build. A black belt is buckled around my waist and a sheathed short sword hangs from it. Wrapped around my body is an oak-brown traveling cloak and, behind my back, a quiver of arrows and a teal-colored bow.

What happened to me? Did I get transported back into the medieval age or something?

"Hey, Enigma?" I call out.

There is no response.

"Well, I guess there's no use waiting here," I sigh. Having decided to do a little exploring on my surroundings, I begin towards the door. I was pushing the door open when a sudden explosion boom through the silence.

I jump at the sudden noise and let slipped a few swear words under my breath. That explosion must be pretty close judging by its amplitude. I find myself in a dim corridor with black smoke piling in from one end. I follow that direction immediately. As I run, I somehow feel that this corridor belonged to those of a ship's. Am I in a ship? I shield my nose from the smoke using my cloak. As the smoke clear, I find myself standing on the dock of a ship.

The dock is decorated into more of a stage for drama, with a huge fake castle as the background. Part of the stage's floor has been destroyed by large harpoons attached to huge chains. Several characters stand on the stage. And all of them are no strangers to me. My eyes go round and my mouth gapes when I begin to identify them as characters from the game 'Final Fantasy IX'.

There is Zidane, a young man with wavy, blond hair tied into a ponytail. He wears a teal vest over a white shirt along with blue pants. He wears both white gloves and white boots and has a long, monkey-like tail sticking out of his pants' back. And in his hands is a pair of daggers.

Next to him is Marcus, a friend of Zidane's. He wears a red bandana around his head, almost covering his eyes. He dresses himself in sleeveless blue vest and blue pants, with leather boots at his feet. Leather belts can be seen strapped around his wrists, across his chest diagonally and around his waist. He carries a broadsword in his right hand.

Vivi is standing on the other side of Zidane. He is no larger than an ordinary nine years old kid. He wears blue robes with huge white cuffs and baggy white pants with green vertical lines. He has an oversized pointy hat on his head, shadowing his round black face and his two luminous, yellow orb-like eyes. He, too, wears leather protections for his hands and legs and carries a wooden staff in his hands.

Behind the three is Garnet, the princess of Alexandria. She has long, silky black hair pulled back into a ponytail and wears an orange jumpsuit with long white sleeves. She merely has a simple rod in her hands as a weapon.

Facing the four is Steiner, a man with rather large size and donned in a suit of rusty knight armor. He wears a chain mail under that armor along with iron gloves and boots. A leather belt is strapped diagonally across his armor, fixing a sheath at his back for the broadsword he carries.

And behind Steiner is a Bomb, a large fireball monster with blazing eyes, little claws and a wide mouth across its round body. But that's not all. The Bomb's size grows as the battle continues and upon swelling to its maximum size, it will go off with a bang.

So, the story is already this deep into the game? I pinch myself to see if I'm dreaming. I remain flabbergasted until Zidane's voice snaps me out of my trance.

"Hey, look behind you!" he yells as he clashes his daggers with Steiner's broadsword.

"I will not fall for such an old trick!" Steiner bellows.

Looking at the actual scene, I'm wondering how the hell he cannot notice a giant Bomb floating behind him.

"Please, Steiner! Behind you!" Garnet makes her attempt to warn the knight. But the Bomb set off an explosion at the fake castle at the same time. Her warning have not reached Steiner.

Someone have to make Steiner come to his senses. It looks like it's a job for me. My blood runs through my veins in excitement. I run a quick check over what I can do. I have a bow and arrows, just perfect for me to show off my marksmanship. I guess I will start with that. I immediately nock an arrow and fire it at the Bomb. To my surprise, the Bomb's flames burn the arrow into crisps before it can sink into its body. I try a few more shots but they all end up getting incinerated into ashes.

"What the—who are you?" Zidane suddenly comes to notice that I am here.

"Now's not a good time for that!" I yell back to him.

_Damn it, my arrows aren't working. Come on, think… the Bomb's a fire-elemental monster, so it will be weak against…_

"Ice!" I thought out loud. I quickly run to Vivi, finding the little black mage staring at me in confusion. "Hey, Vi— I mean, kid! Can you infuse my arrow with a Blizzard spell? Try to condense the magic as much as possible at the arrow's tip. Hurry, the Bomb's gonna blow up any second."

Apparently like Zidane, Vivi is startled at my sudden appearance. But he quickly shrugs it off and nods. "A-alrighty, I'll give it a shot."

I nod in return and nock an arrow. As I aim, a chilling sensation surrounds the tip of my arrow, slowly turning it blue. I know my plan is working. Without further hesitation, I let go of the bowstring and fire the Blizzard-infused arrow at the Bomb.

The Bomb roars in pain as the ice arrow sinks into its fiery body. A chunk of solid ice suddenly bursts from its body, freezing part of its flames before shattering into innumerable shards. Filled with pain, the Bomb begin to rampage around the stage. The noise it causes has finally made Steiner realized that there is a Bomb behind him this whole time. The knight gapes in horror as he quickly steps away from the soon-to-come explosion.

Oh, wait, I didn't kill the Bomb?

"It's gonna blow!" Marcus cups a hand to his mouth and shouts. The Bomb's fiery body swells to its largest. Its flames are now vividly crimson. I can sense a lot of heat piling up from within the Bomb.

"TAKE COVER!" Zidane yells as he throws himself and Garnet at the floor. The rest of us follow. I cover my ear for the loudest explosion I've ever heard in my entire life.

The Bomb goes off, its amplitude high enough to almost split my eardrums in half. A minor shockwave radiates from the explosion and sends me and Vivi flying towards the ship cabin's walls. The blast shatters the chains attaching to the harpoons. I feel the ship gaining momentum as I try to stand back up. Rough wind begin blowing in my face. It was seconds before I realize that this is an airship I'm standing on.

As the cloud of smoke clears, I find everyone gathering up in a small circle.

"Is everyone okay?" Zidane asks, dusting a few rubbles off his shoulders.

There is a round of nods.

"We did it. We got away, barely," Marcus says, pouring a vial containing blue liquid down his lips. I assume it must be a Potion.

"Hey, thanks for your help earlier." Zidane pats Vivi on the head, to which the kid has to readjust his hat for. "And you, too." He turns to me. "Thanks for making ol' Rusty here came to his senses."

"No sweat," I answer, hanging my bow back on my shoulder.

"Y-You're welcome." Vivi adjusts his hat shyly.

"I will arrest you bandits for this! Just you wait!" Steiner roars, his gauntleted fists shaking with rage.

"Whatever." Zidane rolls his eyes.

"I am Prin—" Garnet coughs. "I am Garnet. Please to meet you all."

"Hello." Vivi and I greet simultaneously.

"How the hell you two got involved in this?" Zidane asks, referring to Vivi and I.

"Um…" Vivi begins to play with his fingers. "I watched the show without a ticket."

"And I dropped mine." I quickly make up a lie. "The guards willn't believe me and insisted on arresting me. So, I ran."

Zidane nods in understanding. "Well, this airship's heading for Lindblum. I'm sorry. We can't turn back now after all that commotion. The two of you have to stick with us for now."

"I don't think we'll make it that far, Zidane," Marcus informs, gesturing at the smoke piling out from the airship's propellers. Soon enough, the whole floor begins to shake violently as if a tremor has just hit us.

"Well, look on the bright side. At least we got the princess." Zidane forces a smile on his face.

Suddenly, Garnet screams. We all turn to see the floor she was standing on fell apart. The princess vanishes from our sight in an instance and falls through the thick cloud of Mist below.

"You were saying?" Marcus is desperately holding on to the cabin's door.

"PRINCESS!" Steiner yells. He, without giving it much thought, runs towards the direction where Garnet fell and jumps off. Either the man's got balls or he just happens to have been born without common sense.

"Hold on to something!" Zidane shouts to Vivi and I. But before the two of us can stretch out our hands and grab something, the stage crumbled further, dropping the two of us.

"HOLD ON TO ME!" I shout. I extend a hand and pull Vivi in. The two of us hug onto each other for our lives. The air rushes past us with rapid velocity. We manage to make it past the Mist. And now below us is a sea of dark trees. Our bodies crash through twigs and branches painfully, finally making a harsh contact with the ground.

Pain sears through my entire body. My consciousness is slipping away fast.

"What's…next…?" I breathe. "E…nigma…"

* * *

**A/N: **That's it guys. How do you find Afterlife? Please drop a review on your way out. Thank you very much. :)


	2. Leafy Prisons

**Author's Notes: **How's it going, guys? Here's the second chapter up again! I did some tinkering with it. Please stay tune for the next update!

Thanks to Shadow knight1121, Senom229 and cherrynolanii for the reviews! I'm happy to be back. And also I appreciate those who put this story back up in your alerts. It means so much to me.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own FFIX or any of the characters except Egil.

* * *

**Chapter Two: Leafy Prisons**

I wonder if I'm dead again. I'm only half an hour into the game and it's already trying to kill me. I feel someone shaking my hands.

"Mister, are you o-okay?"

As I slowly reopen my eyes, I find a pair of luminous eyes staring at me. Vivi sighs in relief when he sees me regaining consciousness.

"I'm…okay," I groan as I try to sit up. That was one heck of a fall and my head's still aching from it. I probably have a couple of bruises on my body. Heck, if it wasn't for the trees breaking our fall, we would have ended up here already dead. "How about you?"

"I'm f-fine too," Vivi replies. "W-where are we?"

"We're in Evil Forest, and honestly speaking, I don't think we'll like it here," I tell him. Vivi looks even more anxious when I have said that. "Let's find the others, they should be somewhere nearby."

"There's smoke o-over there," Vivi says, pointing at the direction with black smoke rising.

"That must be where the airship crashed," I say. "Let's look around first and see if we can find anyone else before going there."

"Alrighty."

You can say that I'm relieved to have Vivi with me. Even though Vivi's only a kid, him being here helps me keep the tension low at least by a little. Truth be told, if I was to end up alone here, I would have panicked.

Well, I'm still panicking anyway.

Where do I go now? Unlike the game itself in which the roads and paths have already been decided for you, Evil Forest is a damn maze in reality. It's not like when the game automatically guides you to where the next scene is going to take place.

And there could have been monsters everywhere. I almost forgot about the random encounters.

Thinking of monsters, I quickly check my equipments. My bow and arrows are still in place. Good. At least I have something to fight monsters with. I unsheathe my short sword as a precaution.

We start exploring through the woods soon. The humidity here is intense. It's no wonder you can see giant plants and fungus growing everywhere.

The air around here is really strange. It's a completely different sensation from Earth. The air here constantly reeks of danger.

And death.

For some reasons, the woods are unusually quiet right now. I hate to admit it. But we are probably on the right track. Something is emitting a dangerous aura so strong that no other wild beasts dare to come near this area. I grip my short blade even tighter. I can feel my heart throbbing faster. My hands are trembling.

"U-um," Vivi speaks up to me all of a sudden, which nearly gives me a heart attack. "Mister...?"

"Egil Black," I answer. "There's no need for the Mister. And just Egil will do."

When was the last time I introduce myself to someone?

Vivi nods. I've just noticed how the little guy is holding onto his staff in fear, too. His hands are clearly shaking like mine.

"Are we g-going to be a-alright?" Vivi stammers.

"Yeah, we will be alright. We will make it out of this forest," I assure. I just feel some kind of responsibility at this point to comfort him. Knowing the storyline, I know for sure that Vivi will be fine. As for me, I'm not so sure.

But one thing I know is I don't want to die, at least not here in Gaia.

Before Vivi can reply me, a scream pierces through the silence of the forest. The scream belongs to that of a sixteen years old girl.

"Garnet," I mutter. "Come on, Vivi, let's go—"

When I turn to him, I find Vivi shivering in fear. His face looks absolutely terrified from Garnet's scream.

"Come on, I'll be right by your side, don't worry," I encourage, trying to calm him down. Speaking of that, I'm worrying about things myself. What should I do when I see the monster that's going to attack us later? Should I go directly with an arrow?

"A-alrighty," Vivi finally nods. I run towards the direction where the scream came from as fast as I can with Vivi following close behind. It wasn't long before we reach a clearing.

There's Garnet, sitting on the ground, but no monster. I'm relieved to see her still unharmed.

"Are you okay, princess?" I ask, pulling her to her feet.

"I'm fine... You have my gratitude," Garnet says. But then her eyes widen all of a sudden. "How did you know of my identity?" She takes a step backwards away from me.

Crap. I let slipped of something I shouldn't have know. "Zidane let slipped of that right before you fell off. Remember? He said 'At least we've got the princess'. And there isn't any other girl except you."

"You—Him—" Garnet is at a loss for words.

"It's not hard to figure out either. With the harpoons and the Bomb, and not to mention—"

"Save your explanation for later," Garnet interjects. "Be wary, there's something around us."

"W-w-w-what's around?" Vivi asks.

"A monster was giving chase after me a moment ago. It seems to have hidden itself in the leaves," Garnet explains. She, too, is gripping her rod firmly.

I don't think any of us have any real experience in fighting monsters before. We have our backs against each other. I switch to my bow and arrows. If it's something from a distance, then at least I can shoot it down.

That is, if my terribly shaking hands allow me to.

"I think I heard something," I hush. I hear movement from the leaves above as we all quiet down. "It's above us, watch out, I think it's trying to ambush us," I warn.

The two of them look upward for any signs of the monsters. I nock an arrow and aim for the moving leaves above us. I try my best to suppress my fear to ensure stability of the bow and arrow. The arrow's released. It may have gone a bit off track though, with my hands still shaking and all that.

And so there is a inhuman shriek of pain. Somehow I wish I haven't done that.

Something big and brown drops from the trees. The three of us stand side by side as we back away from the thing that fell down. And as we do that, I examine a real organic monster for the very first time.

It's a Prison Cage. It's uglier than I thought. It has dry brown skin with two long vine-like tentacles. Its body is shaped like a giant onion with thick brown leaves forming a prison on top of its head. Its two legs look like dry roots and its mouth is wide and wrinkled. The arrow I shot just now is stuck near its left leg with blood dripping out of it.

The Prison Cage shrieks with anger as it readies its tentacles.

That shriek set off my fear. I immediately pull out another arrow and attempt to nock it without thinking. But because of the panic in me, I fumble the arrow and it drops to the ground.

We are in real shit.

This is different than confronting the Bomb back in Alexandria. Back then, there are other people fighting alongside. But now, I'm all alone. Garnet definitely doesn't help much in offense. And Vivi here is too afraid to move.

My heart is pounding like crazy. I can feel the surge of adrenaline rushing inside me.

The Prison Cage was about to charge at us when all of a sudden…

"PRINCESS!" Steiner bellows, coming out of nowhere and running his broadsword through the monster's body. The Prison Cage shrieks in pain and backs away from us.

"Steiner!" Garnet cries happily. "You are unharmed!"

"Do not worry, princess. I am here now to protect—"

Before Steiner can even finish, a tentacle was sent by the Prison Cage to wrap around his feet. Apparently, Steiner has just made the thing angrier. It then hurls Steiner towards a tree like he was paperweight.

I pull another arrow and nock it, aiming for the Prison Cage. It seems to realize my attempt to attack it and it sends a tentacle at me, whipping me in the chest and sending me flying backwards. It's as if all the air in my lungs has been knocked out.

"Aaaaaaah!" Garnet screams again as the Prison Cage wraps its tentacles around her. The princess hit the monster non-stop with her rod but it doesn't seem to be doing anything. She ends up inside the prison on top of the monster.

I didn't think the monster would be this intelligent. I gasp in pain and wipe the blood off my mouth as I try to stand back up. It hurts a lot. But thanks to the pain, my fear is somehow reduced by a lot. I've become more focused.

It's time to get serious.

"What the hell is that?" a voice comes from behind us.

Zidane arrives just in time with his daggers unsheathed. He rushes beside Steiner, who's already stood back up and now in his battle stance.

"Release the princess at once!" Steiner commands.

"Yeah, like it's gonna actually listen to you. Come on!" Zidane says sarcastically.

Before Zidane could charge, his body begins to emit a blinding light. The light fades and strings of energy circle around his body. Zidane's body turns somewhat pink and starts to glow. He gives off some kind of aura with tremendous power. And not to mention he has gotten furrier with his clothes now replaced by fur.

So, this is a real Trance.

"W-what is that light?" Steiner asks.

"I don't know. It somehow raises my power." Zidane replies. He seems to be astonished himself. Heck, even I don't know how Trance actually works in reality. Concept-wise, you just have to get really emotional.

"It must be Trance!" Steiner says in realization. "It's caused by a huge—"

It's just like what Steiner's saying, Trance is…

"Hey, this is not the time for that!" I cut off Steiner's line. "That has the princess!"

"Right, let's get it!" Zidane says. "I need a distraction, you go, Rusty!" He stretches his arms out, his body forming a T-shape. I can feel energy gathering up in one spot.

"Why should I listen to you?" the rusty-armored knight asks arrogantly. "And do not address me as Rusty!"

"Look, do you want to save the princess OR NOT!" Zidane counters.

"Gah!" Steiner grumbles. Despite hating Zidane, saving Garnet is still Steiner's priority. Steiner charges to the Prison Cage without wasting a moment.

The knight sidesteps to dodge the Prison Cage's tentacles but ends up getting hit by one and falls back. Being a trained and experienced warrior on the battlefield, Steiner quickly pushes himself back up and charges again.

I have to help. Right now, I just hate being helpless. I pull out another arrow and nock it. I aim confidently this time.

Somehow, I have found my instincts to kill. The arrow does not miss this time and it manages to interrupt the Prison Cage from further attacking Steiner.

"I'll cover you. GO!" I yell at Steiner.

Steiner replies with a stiff nod. Once again, he charges towards the Prison Cage. The plant sees him coming and tries to lash at him with its tentacles. Unfortunately for it, my arrows are dealing enough pain to distract it. Steiner manages to close in and get an opening. He slashes the plant with his broadsword without hesitation.

The Prison Cage is furious.

"Move aside!" Zidane shouts as he unleashes a Free Energy spell, sending several spheres of energy to finish the monster off. Steiner got out of the way just in time before the spheres hit the plant. It shrieks in agonizing pain. It looks greatly weakened by Zidane's blow. But I know it's not over yet.

As I have expected, the Prison Cage uses its remaining energy to move its tentacles towards Garnet.

Garnet gasps painfully as the tentacles came in contact with her and drains her of her life force. The sword wound made by Steiner earlier is now healed and it looks refreshed again. The princess faints the moment the Prison Cage's done healing itself.

"PRINCESS!" Steiner shouts in worry.

"It's the tentacles! They're draining energy from her! Go for the tentacles!" I shout, firing several more arrows at the monster.

Then I feel that something is not right. Why is my quiver getting lighter?

Zidane fires another Free Energy spell at the Prison Cage. Using this as a chance, Steiner moves in and swiftly severs one of its tentacles. He has become more concentrated. Though his movements are faster, his mind is still as calm as he can be. The princess losing her consciousness must have driven Steiner to that level of seriousness.

The Prison Cage shrieks in pain as it watches its severed tentacle drops on the ground lifelessly. Seeing that the odds are against it, it decides to retreat by extending its remaining tentacle toward the tree. It pulls itself up along with Garnet and vanishes among the thick leaves. I try shooting it back down, but it escapes to a height that there are so many branches which block off my shots. Clever bastard.

"Princess? PRINCESS!" Steiner shouts, staring at the swaying leaves above.

"What the heck? Where did they go?" Zidane asks. That last Free Energy spell made use of the last of his Trance. Now he is back in his normal state.

"She's gone…I was too scared to cast any spell…That monster's probably gonna eat her…" Vivi says, still shivering.

I nearly forgot about Vivi with all the commotion going on.

"It's not your fault, Vivi… you were scared… don't blame yourself, alright?" I try to comfort the little mage.

He merely nods his head quietly. I guess he needs some time to adapt to all of this.

"How can I let this happen!" I turn to find Steiner kneeling down and constantly blaming himself for not being able to save the princess.

"Don't worry. She's not dead yet." Zidane says, trying to lessen the tension. "That monster was only a minion. He's probably gonna take her to his master."

"I'm running out of arrows," I say, checking my quiver which there's only a quarter of the amount of arrows left. How much of these did Enigma gave me anyway?

"I think we have loads of arrows back at the ship, I can get some for you later, um…" Zidane pauses.

"It's Egil," I fill him in.

"Right, Egil, nice to meet you," he says, shaking my hand. "The name's Zidane. Hey, you're pretty cool with the bow and arrows!"

"Meh, I freaked out back there before you came," I answer him modestly. Come to think of it, it's the first time I've heard people complimenting me after such a long time. Does this means Zidane acknowledges me?

It wasn't long before we hear Vivi scream. We all turn to see a second Prison Cage swooping down and shut Vivi inside its leafy cage.

"Damn it," I curse, readying my bow again. I've completely forgot about the second one. I should have been more cautious.

"H-h-help me!" Vivi cries for us while trying to force the leafy cage open.

"Not another one!" Zidane has his dagger readied and he charges at the Prison Cage. The giant plant beats him to the ground with its powerful tentacle before he can even close in. It's obvious that the battle just now has made him tired.

"Hang on, VIVI!" I shout as I nock an arrow. "Zidane, let's kill quickly! We don't want it to escape again!"

"Right!" Zidane agrees. "Come on, Rusty! Quit sulking!"

"Silent! This is entirely your fault! I'll get you after this!" Steiner says, unsheathing his broadsword.

I initiate the attack by releasing the bowstring. The arrow plunges deep into the Prison Cage's flesh. While the thing shrieks in rage, Zidane and Steiner move in. Zidane, being more agile, circles around and goes behind the Plant Cage while Steiner faces the plant head on. It's an attack from both sides.

Zidane strikes first with a double cut with his daggers. While the Prison Cage's distracted with that, Steiner runs his broadsword through the Cage's flesh. Drowned in pain and anger, the plant lashes its tentacles at both of them, sending them to the ground.

The Prison Cage is swaying weakly already. This one seems to be weaker than the last one. We can probably pull this one off quicker than we thought.

However, things aren't exactly well in our side. Zidane seems unusually exhausted. Is it because of the Trance earlier? I think I can understand that. And with all the commotion back there at Alexandria a while ago, anyone would have been tired.

Steiner supports himself back up with his broadsword. But the Prison Cage wants to prevent that. It lashes its tentacles at him another time before he can regain his full composure. It then does the same to Zidane, making sure the both of them stay flat on the ground.

There's no way I'll let this continue. The two of them has been injured enough already. It's time to shift its attention towards me. I send an arrow straight at it. It turns and shrieks at me.

"That's right! I'm the one hurting you! Leave them alone!" I provoke, firing another shot at it.

Soon enough, the Prison Cage is heading towards.

_Hurry up and get up now, guys! _I think as I try to hold it off. But it knocks me down using its tentacles before Zidane or Steiner can even get back up.

My senses go numb as I fall to the ground. I can't withstand the impact given, and that's when I loosen my grip over my bow. As I reach for it, the Prison Cage whips me further away from my bow as if it read my mind. I can't help but cough blood. That thing's tentacles are stronger than I've expected. Either that or it's just my body is too fragile.

I can feel it coming to finish me off until I hear it shrieks again.

"Not so tough now, aren't you?" Zidane provokes. His daggers are deep into the Prison Cage's backside.

"I shall put an end to your harm!" Steiner chimes in. He, too, has his broadsword stuck inside the Prison Cage's flesh.

The plant counters by wrapping both of its tentacles around them and hurls them towards nearby trees. They gasp painfully when they hit the trees.

Fatigue is wearing us down. They can't have recover that quick anymore from that. But the Prison Cage itself isn't lively anymore either. It seems to be nearing its end.

And that's when it moves its tentacles towards Vivi.

_Come on, I got to move! _I crawl towards my bow and try to reach for it. But time is not enough. _Damn it, I can't make it! Vivi!_

"STAY AWAY!" Vivi screams in fear and set off a fiery explosion right in the Prison Cage's face. That must have been a Fire spell. The Prison Cage shrieks as it was caught surprise by the mage's sudden counterattack.

Why didn't I remember sooner?

"That thing's weak to magic! Keep on doing what you did just now!" I yell over to Vivi.

Before the Prison Cage can even release Vivi, the black mage set off another one of his Fire spell, dealing further damage to the monster.

"It's time to end this, I'm tired enough already," I mutter to myself as I retrieve my bow and stand back up.

I shoot arrows after arrows at the Prison Cage until they all ran out, determined to finish it for good. Soon enough, its body is full of burn marks and arrows. The Prison Cage shrieks its last and dies. Its leafy cage withers with it, releasing a terrified Vivi. I caught him when the little guy almost tripped running to us.

"It's alright," I pant. "You're safe now. The monster's dead."

Vivi simply nods as he wraps his arms around me tightly. I just pat him by the head. The poor guy must have used up a lot of his courage today. No ordinary kid could have burn a full grown Prison Cage to ashes.

"Alright!" Zidane cheers happily as he finally manages to stand back up. "We did it!"

He pulls out a vial containing blue liquid from his pouch. He looks much better after drinking that Potion.

"The princess! We must search for the princess!" Steiner demands as he approaches us, too.

None of us answer to his demand. Zidane then walks over to check what's left of the Prison Cage. Suddenly, somewhere out of the burnt body sprays a noxious-looking—

_Gas!_

"Not…again…?" I mutter as I feel my consciousness leaving me with the gas entering my nostrils. I was too tired to figure what will happen next in the game.

I don't think I'm going to enjoy this one bit.

* * *

**A/N: **I hope my battle scenes didn't get any crappier! Please drop a review and let me know what you think! See you guys soon.


	3. To Die In This World

**Author's Notes: **Hey, guys. What's up? It's me here again. This time, I'm done with Chapter Three!

There are no battle scenes in this one. There's a lot of talking, though. Anyway, please read and review! Don't hesitate to tell me what you think of the new Afterlife!

Thanks to Shadow knight1121 for the review!

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Final Fantasy IX. However, I do own Egil Black.

* * *

**Chapter Three: To Die In This World**

"Ugh…my head hurts…"

I groan in pain as I wake up to find myself lying on a bed inside a small room. At first, I thought everything was just a dream and I have waked back up in the hospital ward. It took me a few minutes to fight the dizziness in my head and realized that I was no longer on Earth but in Gaia. Vivi is still out cold, lying on a separate bed beside mine. I don't see Steiner anywhere. He must be in the music room.

I frown as a disgusting feeling take over my insides. I feel like throwing up any second.

"Ugh…" I continue to groan like a really sick man for several minutes until Blank enters the room, carrying two vials containing muddy green liquid in it. Please don't tell me that those are medicine.

Blank is a young man with red spiky hair. A leather belt is strapped around his forehead, almost covering his eyes. I wonder how the hell he can see like that. More leather belts are strapped around his leather vest and pants. He wears a pair of furry gloves and boots and carries with him a sheathed broadsword. Well, he's a pretty cool character, even though he's a little obsessed with belts.

I sit up to greet him. "Hey…Ugh…"

"You're awake, huh?" Blank asks, placing the two vials he carries on a small table beside my bed. "How are you feeling?"

"Sick." I lay back down on the bed. "My head hurts like hell."

"Yeah, that's what I thought," Blanks responds coolly before walking over to check on Vivi. The black mage wakes up as soon as Blank approaches him. Like me, he groans weakly and rubs his temples as he slowly regains his consciousness.

"Ugh… Where am I?" Vivi asks weakly.

"You're inside Prima Vista," Blank explains. "You guys are lucky. If it wasn't for Zidane, you'd both be dead. Some of the monsters reproduce by planting seeds inside other animals. And when the seeds sprout, it's hasta la vista, you become beef jerky."

Vivi's eyes widen in horror. "A-am I going to die?" he asks.

"No. You're going to be fine." Blank gives the black mage a convincing smile and uncorks one of the vials before handing it over to Vivi. "Here, drink this. It'll remove all the seeds inside your body."

"Ugh…" Vivi groans sickly as he receives the medicine and smells it. He swallows the muddy green liquid quickly and sticks his tongue out in disgust after that. "Eeyuck…"

So, Black Mages do have mouths. What a shocking discovery, at least it is to me.

"Here, this is yours." Blank hands me the other vial of seed-remover.

I resist the urge to vomit as I hurriedly uncork the vial and gulp the medicine down my throat. After a few seconds, my headache is lifted and the nausea disappears. It's the most relieving sensation I ever had. I feel like paradise.

I sigh in relief. "I feel a lot better. Thanks, err…"

"It's Blank. Don't mention it. Get some rest, will ya? Zidane will be here to see you two soon." With that, Blank waves us goodbye and leaves the room.

By now, Zidane should have done arguing with Baku about rescuing Garnet. Right, he is still one of Tantalus until later. Tantalus is a group of thieves from Lindblum, consisting of Zidane himself, Marcus, Cinna and Blank. They are joined by a duo of anthropomorphic moles named Zenero and Benero who are also known as the Nero Brothers. I'm not sure about Ruby though. Perhaps she is one of them as well. And least but not least, the Tantalus is led by Baku whom the others refer to as 'Boss'. I wonder if I get to meet all of them.

A few minutes after Blank left, Zidane walks into the room.

"…I can't believe he's such a coward…" He's mumbling something under his breath. Baku must have forbid him from going out to save Garnet from the evil plants. "Oh, you two are looking better already!"

"It's all thanks to Blank's medicine," I explain. "And you too for carrying us all the way back."

"Yeah, thank you very much," Vivi supports.

"Don't mention it. I didn't really carry all three of you by myself. I've got help from the Nero Brothers, actually…" Zidane says modestly. "Besides, it was your black magic and your arrows that saved the day!"

I feel somewhat happy, knowing that someone actually appreciates my help. How long has it been since I was last thanked by someone in my school? I quickly shrug that sad feeling off.

"You know, you've got some major power for such a little guy!" Zidane compliments the black mage.

Vivi keeps himself silent and lowers his head. His face turns sullen as he adjusts his oversize hat. He's probably thinking that he doesn't deserve the praise because of not doing anything earlier when the Prison Cage's got Garnet.

"What's wrong? Are you peeved at me because I called you little?" Zidane chuckles and pats Vivi's on the head. "Hey, you're a great mage with great powers, alright? To hell with looks. It's what inside that matters."

The black mage's expression lightens up a bit before he apologizes, "I'm sorry. I couldn't do anything when that monster caught her…"

"Hey, don't worry about the princess. I'll get her back, I promise!" Zidane assures with a thumbs up and a wide grin.

Vivi chuckles lightly in return. "Thank you, Mister Zidane."

"Whoa, that's the first time anyone's called me Mister," Zidane laughs, "Just call me Zidane, alright?"

"Alrighty…" Vivi nods, looking more cheerful already.

"Egil, you need arrows, right?" Zidanes asks. "Apparently, Cinna found a small crate of them while unloading the cargo. I'll refill the quiver for you." He grabs my empty quiver and hangs it over his shoulder.

"Thanks a lot, Zidane," I answer as he wave us goodbye and leaves the room.

What's going to happen next is probably Zidane walking up to Baku and have a little brawl with him because of him wanting to save Garnet so badly. Baku will probably kick him out of Tantalus for that.

" you think we'll get out of this forest alright, Egil?" Vivi asks worriedly.

I give him a confident smile and say, "Sure we will, Vivi. Don't worry, have some faith."

Well, at least I can be sure that Zidane, Vivi, Garnet and Steiner will get out of Evil Forest alive. That's how it was in the story. Though I've just said that to Vivi, I begin to worry and doubt things myself. I haven't count myself into the assumption I make. I'm not supposed to be in the story. And that's where the problem is.

Will my presence here affect the story? Will I cause someone that was supposed to live in this part of the story to, let's say, die? I'm not sure that with me adding into the story will disrupt anything. I just pray that we will all be safe.

"Thanks, Egil," the black mage responds with gratitude. "I'm going to rest for a little while…" he adds with a yawn.

"Go on, I'll wake you up if Zidane comes back," I assure him.

"Alrighty."

Vivi falls asleep almost instantly when he closes his eyes and lays his dozy head on the pillow. I stare at his cute face and can't help but smile at it. All is silent except for the tick-tocking of an old clock hanging on the wall. But several minutes later, a laughter booms inside the room. I jump in fright.

"_Since when did one whom gave up on life knows of faith?_" Enigma's voice speaks.

My face turns in all directions, trying to grasp hold of the voice's source but I find none. Vivi continues to snore away as if he can't hear the voice at all. I come to realize a conclusion that Enigma is speaking directly to my mind. And only I can hear him.

"Enigma? What are you doing here?" I ask in a whisper, trying not to wake Vivi up.

"_I have been observing your actions the moment you stepped into this world. I supposed at this moment you have a lot of questions for me. Is it not?_"

"You bet I do. What were you thinking? Sending me into a video game? That's the journey my soul has to undergo to make the big decision between life and death?" I feel a bit ridiculous at this. What's more, I'm talking to thin air. People ought to think I'm mental or something.

"_Correct,_" Enigma confirms in a rather amused tone.

"But why?"

"_Forget not that you are neither in the realm of life nor in the realm of death. And I cannot return you to the living, or send you on to the abyss. Alas, it is no difficulty for me to take you into an ideal world._"

"You mean this world actually exists?" I am really amazed by the fact of it. "But it's a video game. How?"

"_This world is born from the imagination of people. It has been here since the moment people began imagining its existence, and so it does. Deep is the power of imagination. One will never know what they can do with it nor comprehend the limits of its power._"

I guess that makes sense, seeing the situation I'm in. One other question pops into my mind. A crucial one.

"What happens if I die in this world?" I ask.

"_Your soul vanishes completely. Neither can you enter the realm of life or death. Your existence will be erased from history's course and be left without a trace. Anyhow, it is, let us say, the worst situation for you, Egil Black,_" Enigma explains briefly. "_You will become a part of my realm—Nothing._"

Still, I'm a bit confused at this but at the same time have a really horrified feeling. "Care to elaborate?"

"_In other words, you will be forever forgotten. None will remember that a person named Egil Black had ever existed. None will recall that you'd walked in their memories. You will be exiled from both the realm of life and death. Your soul will forever be isolated. And as you wander the void eternally, as you look upon the world that you'd once lived in, you will feel true sorrow and despair._"

A long silence follows. I'm stumped, really stumped. Maybe it will be like you staring at a person who was your closest friend, only that he or she doesn't know that you've ever existed, and didn't know that the two of you have been friends.

"_If you are still confused, then allow me to give you the best example,_" Enigma continues, "_Your parents will never remember that they'd once have a son call Egil Black._"

"No…" I gape flabbergasted at what Enigma said.

"_That is the nature of this realm. You must accept it._"

"I will be worse than dead? The hell you've gotten me into? Do you have any idea how dangerous this world is?"

"_It is not me to blame for your entrance into this world, Egil Black, but the uncertainty you carry with you. And I did not select this world out of my own will. You are guided here by your heart._"

I pause to take a deep breath before continuing. I guess I lost my cool back there. "Sorry about that… I just find it hard to accept with everything coming to me so quickly."

"_No apologies are required, Egil. You are merely confused. I shall visit you another time. I wish you luck on your journey. Farewell._"

"W-Wait!"

I inadvertently extend my right hand towards the thin air before me and cry out as Enigma's presence leaves my mind. I want to ask him more. I want more answers. But he's gone for the time being. And I have just waked Vivi up. I guess the questions will have to wait. Enigma said he will be visiting another time anyway.

"What's wrong, Egil?" Vivi asks in a concerned tone as he rubs his eyes.

"Oh, I was just dreaming…" I lie. I don't want people to start thinking that I'm crazy right now, talking to myself and such. "Sorry, did I wake you up?"

Vivi adjusts his oversize hat and shakes his head. "It's alright. Um, can I ask you a question, Egil?"

"Go on," I permit with a smile.

"Where are you going? You look like you're travelling the Mist Continent," the black mage asks curiously.

"Well…you can say that…I'm searching for an answer to something," I smile weakly, trying to improvise. "I'm always wandering around. And before I know it, I was already at Alexandria watching the play."

"Wow, you're travelling all by yourself?" Vivi sounds amazed. "But…won't your parents worry about you?"

"Nah, my parents died long ago when I was still a kid," I bluntly reply.

"O-oops, sorry…" Vivi apologizes, his face turning sullen. "I don't have any parents myself…"

I don't know what to say. Hearing this directly out of Vivi's mouth is different than knowing it from the game script. My heart sank a little at this.

"So…who brought you up? I grew up in an orphanage," I ask.

"Grandpa took care of me," the black mage answers. "What's an orphanage?"

"It's a home for parentless children," I explain. "You're lucky to have your Grandpa."

"Yeah, but Grandpa passed away. I'm all alone now…" Vivi adjusts his hat depressingly.

"Hey, don't feel sad, alright? You're not alone. I promise I'll stick together with you no matter what!" I assure him with a smile.

The kid smiles weakly and nods. "Thanks, Egil."

Our conversation is then cut off by the opening of the door. It creaks noisily as a beaten up Zidane and a grumpy looking Steiner walk in. Zidane's arms are bruised and he's wiping blood off his chin. He must have gone through a rough fight.

"What happened to you, Zidane?" I play dumb, though I knew perfectly what happened.

"Boss happened, that's what," he explains, "He was against my idea of going out into the forest to rescue the princess, you see. We had a little fight."

"And you got your ass kicked," I grin.

He sighs. "Yeah, that's pretty much what happened. In the end, I got kicked out of Tantalus. So, now I'm free to do whatever I want to. No restrictions from the Boss anymore. We're ready to go look for the princess."

"Really? That's great!" Vivi exclaims happily. "Be careful, okay?"

"Actually, Vivi," Zidane scratches the back of his head, "We want you and Egil to tag along with us."

"Not a problem," I immediately agree. For a moment, I will have been worried that he'll have me left behind with those Tantalus guys.

Vivi's eyes go shockingly wide. "H-Huh? But I can't do anything?"

"Hardly, Master Vivi," Steiner interrupts. "Your magic was highly effective against that monster. In all honesty, I hold your power in greater esteem that I do this scoundrel's," he adds with a deadly side-glance at Zidane.

"B-But…I'm scared. I couldn't even move last time," Vivi says in his puny voice. He bows his head and begins to adjust his hat again, a move I always see him doing whatever the situation his. I guess it's a Vivi thing.

"It's normal to be afraid for someone of your age, Vivi," I chime in. "But we need your magic to save the princess. Please, Vivi?"

"U-Um…" the Black Mage stammers.

"You don't have to worry about getting hurt," I add. "We'll protect you. That's what comrades are for."

"Please, Master Vivi. For the sake of Princess Garnet and all of Alexandria, I humbly request your assistance," Steiner pleads desperately.

"Come on, you're a black mage, for crying out loud! Show us what you got!" Zidane drags Vivi out of the bed, which the black mage allows quite willingly. When Zidane sees that Vivi has made up his mind, he continues, "Alright! Let's get going!"

"Alrighty, I-I'll try my best!" Vivi nods a bit more confidently.

"Thank you, Master Vivi!" Steiner bows in gratitude, his armor creaking uncomfortably as he does so.

I grab my bow and hang it over my shoulder before leaving the room first with Zidane. Steiner and Vivi stay behind for a little while as the knight wants to discuss about his little idea to combine Vivi's magic with his broadsword. Zidane leads me all the way towards a large hole in the wasted Prima Vista;s wall. I guess that's the way out. We are helping ourselves across a floor of broken planks when all of a sudden Blank's voice comes from the side.

"Sheez, you really dig her, huh?" the red-haired thief says coolly. He's leaning against the wall and has his arms crossed. I still can't figure it out how the hell he can see through that huge belt buckled around his forehead.

"I can't sit around knowing a girl's in trouble. Goes against my nature," Zidane quickly replies with a grin.

"Whatever. You're full of shit."

"Ohhh…I get it. You're jealous that I'm gonna get me a sweetie pie," Zidane teases. This guy is officially a play boy in my records.

"Pshhh… She's not even my type. I came down here to give you this." Blank throws a vial to Zidane and he catches it. It's the same seed-remover potion that Vivi and I drank earlier on.

"You're always thinking about me, but I don't need a love potion to reel this one in."

I did a facepalm and Blank rolled his eyes, or I assume he did. Damn that belt.

"Why don't you get your mind off girls for a second? This is the medicine I gave to him," Blank jerks his head at my direction, "the black mage and the knight. It's sort of like a seed remover."

"Cool, this will really come in handy," Zidane whistles.

"Why am I always helping you?" Blank sighs. He separates his back from the wall and turns to leave.

"Thanks, Blank. I'll see you when I see you!" Zidane waves him goodbye.

"See ya," I did a two finger salute.

We then continue through the hole and find ourselves outside the Prima Vista, staring into what looks like a pile made of all sorts of junks. Around the pile are several wood crates containing different types of items. There's one for weapons, one for curative items, one for armors and accessories, one for wasted airship parts and so on. Cinna's doing a messy job sorting the things out. He's rummaging through the piles when Zidane and I approach him.

Now Cinna has quite the comical appearance. He wears an iron pot for a helmet, has a big round nose and one hell of a mustache and beard. He wears a leather vest so small that it can't contain all of his body but only his torso, leaving his belly exposed. Leather belts are strapped around his wrist and he holds an iron hammer in his right hand. Cinna, upon noticing us, stops his job and walks over to greet us in that tight leather pants of his.

"Hey, Cinna, how're the arrows I asked you to get?" Zidane asks.

"I've got them ready, alright. But I'm gonna have to charge you for that, since you're no longer a member of Tantalus," Cinna states. "Sorry, Boss's orders."

"Come on, Cinna. For my sake?" Zidane pleads. But Cinna's answer remains no.

"Let me handle this, Zidane," I interject. "Go find Vivi and Steiner and see what's taking them so long."

"You sure about this?" Zidane raises an eyebrow at me.

"Trust me. I've got this," I grin. With that, Zidane nods and goes back through the hole to call on Vivi and Steiner.

Cinna bursts out in laughter. "You? What're you going to do? Hell no. Stop wasting my time. I've got more important things to do," he says as he turns his back on me and starts rummaging through the pile again, muttering, "Oh, where are it…"

My grin grows wider hearing this. "Oh, we'll see about that. What if…I know what you're looking for in that heap of junk and where _it _is?"

I kind of emphasized on the word _it_. Cinna's face shot back up at me, looking somewhat shocked and horrified. I grin evilly.

"That's right, I know where your Princess Garnet doll is," I say.

"Y-Y-Y-Y-Y-You!"

"Don't worry, your secret is perfectly safe with me," I assure, still grinning. "So, how about we make a deal? My arrows for the location of your precious doll."

Looking somewhat embarrassed, Cinna nods rather unwillingly. He grabs a quiver full of arrows from one of the crates and hands it to me. "You've got yourself a deal. Now, where's my doll?"

"It's in the music room."

"Tee-hee-hee!" Cinna let out a girly squeal as he sprints off immediately into the Prima Vista, passing by Zidane, Vivi and Steiner on the way. I hang the quiver of arrows over my back as I greet the three.

"What did you say to Cinna?" Zidane asks. "He's acting weird."

"I just did him a little favor. So, are we ready to go?" I ask.

"Stop blabbering! The princess's life is at stake! We must make haste!" Steiner interrupts.

"Whatever, Rusty." Zidane rolls his eyes as he approaches one of the crates and examines it. "Might as well snatch a few Potions while Cinna's away. Take that, Baku. Hah!" He grins as he grabs several vials containing blue liquid and stuffs them inside a pouch attached to his belt.

"You done there, Zidane? Time to roll," I say.

The thief nods before jogging up to join us. Fully prepared, the four of us begin towards the inner parts of the forest. And so we are on our way to look for Princess Garnet…

And so my journey begins…

* * *

**A/N: **I'm having some changes with the plot. Not now but later in the story. Yes, people, be prepared to get surprised by what I will do. ;)


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